Modification of 316L steel powders with bronze using high energy ball milling for use as a binder component in PBF-LB/M printing of diamond-metal matrix composites

For the processing of diamond-metal matrix composites, the powder bed fusion using a laser for metals (PBF-LB/M), represents a new promising method for the additive manufacturing of diamond tools for concrete and rock machining, even with more complicated geometries. Previous research activities show a strong tendency for cracking and delamination during the construction process of the samples. This behavior is caused by thermal residual stresses associated with the embedded diamonds. To control these negative effects on the process side, the volume energy density is reduced accordingly, which, however, led to increased pore formation. This publication deals with an approach on the material side to modify a 316L stainless steel base powder with an addition of 20 wt% bronze via a high energy ball milling (HEBM) process in such a way that a homogeneous solid solution phase is created. A significantly increasing of the melting interval and a decreasing of both solidus and liquidus temperature was observed, which can reduce pore formation in the PBF-LB/M-process . In addition, XRD-diffractometry and SEM/EDS-analysis showed that the homogeneous solid solution phase of this alloyed powder segregates again into Fe- and Cu-rich phases when heated up to the melting point.